Generic Insulin
Pharmacy News: Authorized Generic Insulin Update
As of 2/4/2020, there are three authorized generic insulins available on the market. An authorized generic is a brand name drug that is marketed without the brand name on its label. The authorized generic is the exact same product as the referenced brand product, and therefore is therapeutically equivalent. Authorized generics are able to be substituted for the Brand name by a pharmacy without a new prescription.
CenCal Health's Benefit Design mandates generic substitution when a generic product is available. Below is a reference table of the available Authorized Generic Product and its correlating Reference Brand Product. All three authorized generics are Formulary on the CenCal Health Formulary.
| Insulin Type |
Authorized Generic Product |
Reference Brand Product |
| Rapid acting |
Insulin Lispro 100 units/ml
(Eli Lilly & Co.)
|
Humalog 100 units/ml
(Eli Lilly & Co.)
|
| Rapid acting |
Insulin Aspart Protamine 100 units/ml
(Novo Nordisk)
|
Novolog 100 units/ml
(Novo Nordisk)
|
|
Intermediate acting &
Rapid acting mix
|
Insulin Aspart Protamine-
Insulin Aspart Mix 70-30 units/ml
(Novo Nordisk)
|
Novolog Mix 70-30 units/ml
(Novo Nordisk)
|
Please visit the CenCal Health formulary for a complete list of medications.
For inquires, please contact the Pharmacy Department at 805-562-1080
Formulary Updates
Opioid Updates
Opioid and Benzodiazepine Concomitant Use Safety Edit
With the approval of CenCal Health's Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and in coordination with its Pharmacy Benefits Manager (MedImpact), CenCal Health continues to implementa multi-phase plan to deter over-utilization of opioids, and update utilization management measures.
Effective 9/1/2019, CenCal Health will implement an opioid and benzodiazepine concomitant use safety edit. The safety edit is a point of sale (POS) intervention that will identify and deny concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines when there is any overlap in the day supply. Interventions will work bi-directionally and stop claims when there is an opioid-benzodiazepine claim overlap or vice versa.
In order to override these rejections, the pharmacist may conduct a Drug Utilization Review (DUR) and submit the applicable override that outlines the specific actions taken by the pharmacist. The dispensing pharmacist can bypass the soft edit by using the following overrides:
| 4C (Hospice) |
1A (Filled As Is, False Positive)
|
| 4B (Palliative Care) |
1B (Filled As Is, Not Relevant) |
| 4D (Cancer) |
4A (Prescribed with Acknowledgements) |
| 1G (Prescriber Approval) |
3G (Drug Therapy Unchanged |
During the month of August, benzodiazepine prescribers who hit the edit described above will receive an outreach letter. The letter will provide the prescriber with a list of their CenCal Health members who are currently taking an opioid and benzodiazepine. Resources around the use of benzodiazepines will be provided in the letter, including the option for a personalized consultation to discuss custom tapering recommendations or alternative treatment choices. Additional pain management resources are also available through CenCal Health on the Pharmacy Pain Management Resource Page.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the CenCal Health Pharmacy Department at (805) 562-1080.